21 April 2010

Senate Confirms Lesbian Judge Marisa Demeo to DC Superior Court

One of President Obama’s first openly LGBT appointees was finally confirmed by the Senate last night to the Washington D.C. Superior Court. Judge Marisa Demeo has waited 13 months while her nomination was largely held up in an effort by right-wing, anti-gay Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC).

"As an open, radical lesbian, Demeo has openly condemned the effort to amend our Constitution to protect marriage as a one-man, one-woman union Demeo supports gay marriage, claiming it is a constitutional right. She also claims that LGBT individuals are equal to racial minorities and can claim protection as minorities under our civil rights laws ... Demeo’s radical lesbianism, anti-marriage, anti-national security views are dangerous to our nation. She should not be confirmed to the DC Superior Court."

Demeo, a D.C. magistrate judge since
2007 who has "advocated for Hispanic and LGBT causes'", was confirmed by a 66-32 vote that fell largely on party lines. Republicans supporting Demeo included teabag hero Scott Brown (MA), Maine's Collins and Snowe, Bond (MO), Murkowski (AK), Lagar (IN) and Gregg (NH).

Last fall, DeMint vocally opposed Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination due to the "wise Latina" remark. And a few months ago DeMint said same-sex marriage is "destructive" to society and gays are so "immoral" he could never imagine one as president.